Tag: wilderness

‘Get back, mountain lion!’ Tense encounter caught on video

A photographer who monitors trail cameras in Southern California mountain lion habitat experienced a dangerously close encounter with one of the predators on Friday.

A photographer who monitors trail cameras in the Southern California wilderness experienced a dangerously close mountain lion encounter on Friday.

Mark Girardeau, who was hiking with Rachel de Vlugt in Orange County’s Trabuco Canyon,  shared footage of their 5 p.m. encounter via Instagram.

Girardeau told FTW Outdoors that he and de Vlugt had just checked  a few cameras when he saw the mountain lion run up a hill and stop to watch them from perhaps 20 feet away.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Elk not shown proper respect, knocks man over wall; video

In the footage the male mountain lion, or cougar, peers intently through bushes and does not flinch as Girardeau repeatedly yells, “Get back!” in an attempt to keep the animal at bay.

As they slowly back away, the cat briefly follows.

Girardeau’s Instagram description reads: “I think there are two things that could have caused this: either he has a kill nearby and he was defending it or he ran up not realizing we were humans since he couldn’t completely see us from down below.

“There were deer in the area that we saw so he probably assumed it was them.”

Mountain lions in Southern California prey largely on mule deer, which they stalk and ambush.

Girardeau wrote: “Mountain lions do not predate on humans and this is why it’s good to hold your ground because any prey item for mountain lions runs away. If you don’t do this, the mountain lion is not going to assume you are prey.”

Girardeau, whose social media feeds contains cougar footage captured by motion-sensor cameras, told FTW Outdoors that about two minutes passed before the cougar stopped following them.

–Image courtesy of Mark Girardeau

Massive illegal pot farms discovered in California wilderness

More than 42,000 illegal marijuana plants discovered recently on California public lands have been eradicated.

More than 42,000 illegal marijuana plants discovered recently on California public lands have been eradicated.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that the street value of the plants was estimated at between $84 million and $169 million.

Vast groves of marijuana were discovered in three locations in Inyo County, a sprawling Eastern Sierra wilderness with the town of Independence as its county seat.

Agents working for state and federal agencies spent three days destroying 42,306 marijuana plants at the undisclosed locations.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Bison fight halts traffic on Yellowstone road

An investigation is ongoing and, as of Thursday afternoon, no arrests had been made.

“All agencies assisting in the eradication operation want to remind residents and visitors of the dangers that are inherent on illegal marijuana cultivation,” the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release.

“If you become aware that you have come upon a cultivation site, leave immediately and do not attempt to engage with the growers.”

The Sheriff’s Office explained that the illegal cultivation of marijuana often involves water diversions and banned herbicides and pesticides, and can cause extensive harm to natural ecosystems.

Inyo County is southeast of Yosemite National Park and home to the Owens River Valley. Spanning 10,192 square miles, it is California’s second largest county, after San Bernardino County. About half of that average is within Death Valley National Park.

–Aerial images showing the illegal pot farms are courtesy of the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office